Learning to Laugh
by ssilverfoxx
Summary: Heero is emotionally lost after the war and Duo doesn't know what to do. Then Heero brings home a puppy...PG for Shounen ai. (There are two sequels to this story which I will be posting shortly.)


  
  
**Author's Notes: **This is a reposting of a fic that I wrote four years ago under a different account. In an effort to consolidate my two accounts, I am taking my fics off my other account and putting them on my new account. I want it to be in my new account so I don't ever lose it again! I'd forgotten how devoted I was to this pairing and how much I loved Gundam Wing! I hope that you enjoy! 

**Pairings:** 21  
  
**Parts:** 1/1  
  
**More Notes:** Hiya! waves wildly Well, here's another sappy fic. ; My muse has really been out doing herself lately! She keeps hitting me smack upside my head with ideas! Not that that's a bad thing... are used for thoughts or italics. This takes place an estimated three years after the war is over. The guys are seventeen. I always write them at age seventeen. It's a quirk.  
  
**Disclaimer:** Email me.  
  
**Warnings:** Sap. A little bit of shounen ai. I think that's it.

* * *

**Learning to Laugh**  
  
"I'm worried about him, Wu. All he does is mope around. He doesn't even leave the house except to go to his classes and walk to the beach," Duo whispered, brows creased with concern, to the Chinese boy on the vid screen.  
  
"Have you told him?"  
  
"Nani?! Of course not!" Duo replied indignantly. "How could I put any more pressure on him? And...I don't really know if he, you know..."  
  
"Loves you?" came Wufei's candid answer.  
  
"Shhhhh!" Duo quickly swung his head around the room looking for any telltale signs of the other boy's presence. Catching sight of the lack of shoes in the doorway, Duo exhaled in relief. "You're lucky, Wu-man. He's out on another one of his walks."  
  
Tipping his chair backwards, Duo ran his fingers through his bangs. "I just don't know what I'm going to do. Bein' his friend and all, at least I _hope_ I'm his friend. I can't just let him cave in on himself! I mean, you think he was closed off before? Now it's like he's mute! He doesn't even grunt anymore! I miss him..."  
  
Wufei sighed through the vid link. "You have to tell him, Duo."  
  
Duo let his head fall into his hands. A muffled whisper, "I know Wu...I know..."

* * *

Meanwhile, the object of their discussion was looking out at the setting sun, a pink sphere of fire sinking slowly into the rolling waves. Dark bangs fell into blank eyes, reflecting the scene before them. _What's wrong with me?_ The boy thought, no evidence of his inner turmoil apparent on his face _I thought that I wanted the war to be over. But...I don't know how to live in this world. Peace._ He mused. _Wasn't that what I wanted? Yes...But now that I have it...what do I do with it?_ He sighed in a very un-Heero- like manner and jammed his cold hands in his jacket pockets. _I've got nothing left. No reason to live._ And yet he couldn't bring himself to end it all. Deep inside there was still some hope, burning hungrily, devouring the small acts of kindness and moments of beauty in his short and painful life. For all that he was seventeen, Heero Yuy was spiritually ancient, and felt it more and more with each passing day.  
  
Watching the last of the sun sink over the swell of the ocean, he turned for home. Head down, hair shielding his face from any opportune passerby, he walked. This was his routine walk in the evening. It was the only pleasure in his day, it was _his._ He watched the worn gray concrete meander slowly beneath his sneaker-clad feet. This was his time to think, to be alone with only himself and his thoughts. He ignored the other feet he passed. Sometimes he liked to play a game, trying to deduce what a person looked like from only their feet. But not today.  
  
A high-pitched whimper broke through the haze of his thoughts. Raising his head, Heero looked for the source. A box lay in the gutter, liberally splattered with mud and filth. Curious despite himself, he stepped closer, ears perking at the scuffling inside. Stepping off the curb, Heero squatted in the street and carefully lifted the cardboard flaps and peered in, lowering his face to see in the descending darkness. Suddenly a tongue swiped his chin and a tiny creature with bright, dark eyes flew out, landing smack-dab in the middle of his chest. The small weight was enough to send him from his precarious position to lying flat on his back in the deserted street.  
  
_A puppy?_ he thought, looking at the squirming mass trying desperately to reach his face and no doubt bathe it in puppy slobber. _No tag. Abandoned probably. Golden retriever._ Suddenly Heero was set adrift in memories of a little girl and a very similar dog. "Are you lost?"  
  
Shaking himself back to the present, he looked at the pup sitting on his chest, gazing at him with adoring eyes. He sighed and managed to stand up while fending off the bouncy puppy clawing at his leg for attention. "Hn," he grunted dangerously, which had absolutely no effect on the little bundle of joy at his feet and only caused it to wriggle more.  
  
After brushing himself off and sending another glare in the direction of the little dog, Heero proceeded on his way, once more lowering his head and meandering. Suddenly a blur of soft gold intercepted the path of his foot and tackled his leg. Once again, the great Heero Yuy found himself staring at the dusky sky. A tawny head found its way into his view.  
  
"Dog. Omae o korosu," he growled. The puppy only growled playfully back and gently pawed at his face. After clambering to his feet, he glared at the small creature. "No," he said. "No no no. Stay."  
  
The transformation was immediate. The perky tail went limp and the sparkling eyes turned sad. Cowering, it sank down to its belly and whimpered. Ignoring his niggling conscience Heero turned to leave--he made it a total of three steps and conceded defeat. Turning, he faced the now pitiful dog. He sighed.  
  
"Come on." And the blur of gold was back, winding itself around his legs in ecstatic joy. Despite himself, Heero Yuy smiled.  
  
Duo stared at his former partner in shock. "A puppy?" His mouth worked silently as his stoic roommate entered, a golden retriever pup at his heels.  
  
"Abandoned," Heero said gruffly as he stowed his jacket in the closet. Turning, he looked Duo in the eyes.  
  
"Oh all right. You can keep it," he answered the unasked question. "Actually, I've always wanted a dog!" Duo said enthusiastically as he knelt by the puppy that was chewing delightedly on his shoestring. "And the puppers is so kawaii, yes?" Duo asked the dog, who pounced on him.  
  
Heero watched them wrestle and a corner of his mouth twitched up in what might have been considered a semblance of a smile.  
  
After a good twenty minute romp on the hall floor, both Duo and the puppy were exhausted. "So. Does it have a name?" Duo asked as he ran his fingers over the head of the collapsed dog on his chest.  
  
Heero thought a moment. "Kami-sama."  
  
Duo blinked at him, long lashes sliding over tanned cheeks. "God? You're naming your dog God?"1  
  
Heero shrugged. "You were to one that told me God spelled backwards is dog."  
  
"Well...yeah...but...aren't you worried that someone'll take offense?" At Heero's raised eyebrow, Duo sweatdropped. "Ano...nevermind. Kami-sama it is!"  
  
The next few months saw the beginning of a transformation in the stoic former pilot of Wing. Duo watched, flabbergasted, as Heero slowly began to return his efforts in conversation, albeit painfully, but it was still an improvement. He went out more, even offering to do the grocery shopping for the week. They began to take Kami on walks together in the evening. Slowly, Heero Yuy was coming out of his shell. And then one day about seven months after Kami had entered their lives...Duo heard him laugh.  
  
Heero was lying on the couch in the living room trying to read a book that he was supposed to do a report on for his Ancient Literature class when he was interrupted by the pounding of paws and a stream of curses. Steeling himself for the worst, Heero raised expectant eyes to the doorway. Sure enough, a panicked and wet Kami bounded into the room followed by a harried braided boy.  
  
Kami immediately threw herself onto the carpet and began running with her head on the floor in a desperate attempt to get the water out of her ears. Colliding with the coffee table in an effort to capture the wayward dog, Duo crumpled to the ground, clutching his shin and grimacing. "Argh! Damn dog! Get back here, you mutt!" he yelled, more exasperated than anything else.  
  
Bemusedly, Heero watched as Kami, if anything, increased her pace, racing around on the carpet, every now and then throwing herself down and rolling desperately. Then: thunk she ran right into the wall. 2 At the utterly confused look on her face, mixed with the look of chagrin on Duo's, Heero could no longer contain himself and began to chuckle quietly. He tried to muffle it, but the more he tried the more the laughter bubbled up inside of him, fueled by Duo's look of shock and almost horror. And when he started, he couldn't stop. It was a lifetime of laughter buried inside, finally released, rising up and down in scales that Duo found more pleasing than a chorus of angels.  
  
Unable to stop himself, Duo finally cracked a smile and began to chuckle with him. Kami, rather puzzled by the whole thing, went over to them and whimpered, nuzzling first Heero, then Duo, which only caused the two boys to laugh harder. Finally Duo lay on the floor gasping, while Heero clutched his sides in agony, wiping tears from his eyes and trying desperately to regain his lost breath. They took a few moments, in which they regained their composure.  
  
"Arigato Kami. Duo." Heero said very quietly and seriously as he reached down to pat the poor, flustered dog at his feet. He got up and began to move towards the doorway to begin lunch.  
  
"What for?" Duo asked curiously.  
  
Reaching the doorway, he stopped and rested a hand on the doorjamb. "Teaching me how to laugh."  
  
Duo scratched Kami's head gently. "It was my pleasure," he said softly to Heero's retreating back. He absentmindedly continued patting the tawny head in his lap, lips curving up in small smile. _It was my pleasure...koi._

* * *

**Owari**  
  
1 I've always wanted to name my dog God! But I figured some people would take offense. Society stinks. hmph  
  
2 My dog actually did this. Let's just say she isn't the brightest of critters. ;;  
  
**Notes:** So so so! What did you think? Should I write a sequel? C&C? Pwetty please? chibi eyes


End file.
